Improvement in corn-husking machines



M. G. JEFPERS.

Patented 001;. 18, 1870.

Corn Husker.

MPETERs, PNOT0 LITHOGRAFNEIL WASHINGTON, D. c.

dlnited sna amt cya Letters Patent No. 108,484, dated October 18, 1870; antedated October 15, L870.

IMPROVEMENT lN CORN-HUSKING' MACHINES The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MILTox U. Jarrnns, of the city and State of New York, have invented a certain new' and useful Improvement in Combined Fodder- Gutter and Oorn-husking Machines; and the following is hereby declared to be a full and correctdeseription of the same. a

My present invention is an improvement upon that for which Letters Patent No. 7 4,370 were granted to me February 11,1868. In -.sa-id Letters Patent the corn and stalks were fed by hand to the roller B and cylinder of knives O, and the stalks and leaves passed through between B and 0,-but the ears of corn were pressed back and passed to the trough L and husking-rollers H.

Springs between the husking-rollers and the cover or cap to said rollers kept the ears of corn to the husking-rollers, and pins were employed to slit or tear the husks.

\Vhen the machine was used as a fodder-cutter, the material was supplied to the stationary table G and fed by hand to the cutter, the said cuttcr-eylimler being turned end for end.

My improvement on said invention relates to means for feeding into the machine separate ears of corn, as they are frequently pulled from the stalks standingin the field, and consists in a hopper and endless feeding-apron, to which apron motion is given to convey 'the ears to the husking' mechanism, and, by the use of which, the roller B and cylinder of knives O in aforesaid patent can be dispensed with when the machiue is used as a husker, and, when said maehjne is employed as a fodder-cutter, the said endless apron (but without the hopper) may be used to feed the fodder to the cutter.

I hinge the cover of the bushing-rollers so that said cover will act, by its weight, to keep the ears of corn to said rollers, and dispense with the springs K of my aforesaid patent.

In place of using the pins 11 of said patent, l employ a roller or shaft, placed immediately under and parallel with the rollers H, and saidroller or shaft is provided with cutters or projecting points that tear and split the husks as passed through between said rollers, so that they may be in a condition for use in bedding, upholstery, &c.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan of my said machine as adapted to husking separate ears of corn;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same at the line a; 0:, fig. 1; and

Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which themachiue is used as a fodder-cutter.

The frame A and husking or stripping-rollers H H are substantially the-same as in aforesaid patent; and

I here remark that I have shown in the drawing my machine as provided with two sets of bushing-rollers, and, as the operation of each set is the same, I will describe it with reference to one set only.

The rollers H are connected by the gears a, (see fig. 2 and the detached Figure 4,) and the shaft of one of said rollers is extended beyond the hearing I) and gears a, and receives at its end the bevel-gear c, whiehderives its motion from the bevel-gear 11, shown by dotted lines, fig. 2-, on the shaft e, and upon this shaft 0 is the gear j, that gives motion to the wheel g.

This wheel y is upon a shaft, '1 mounted in bearings in one end of the frame 7;, and at the other end of said frame is a shaft, 7.

These shafts i l are provided with rollers or drums to receive the feeding-apron on.

The frame It is attached removably to the frame A, and held in place by the bolts or screws m.

Above the feeding-apron m, and supported by suitable staudards, is the hopper n, and below the bottom of said hopper guides o extend along above the feedingapron, to keep the ears of corn upon said apron m, and direct th'emfto the trough formed by the iu-" clinc IL and side pieces 1;, and from this trough the corn passes to the rollers H H, to be hushed, as in aforesaid patent.

Above the rollers H H is the cover or cap J, and a sufficient space is left between said rollers and cap for the ears or corn. I have shown said cap as hinged to the incline L. Said cover. or eap acts, by its weight, to keep the ears to the rollers, so that the husks will he nipped by said rollers and removed from the ears, but said cap mightbe fitted to'slide vertically and be kept to its proper position by springs or weights.

The husks, as stripped from the ears, are passed through between the rollers H. Immediately under and parallel with said rollers H, I place the roller or shaft 1', and this shaft is provided with the cutters or projecting points .5 s. This roller t-revolves very rapidly, and, with its points s, almost in contact with the rollers H, and acts to tear and slit the husks into shreds, so that the same can be used for upholstery and other purposes.

The roller 1. at one end has apinion, t, that resaid frame it and feeding-apron in removed from its position, figs. 1 and 2, to that shown in fig. 3, and the roller B and cylinder of knivesC placed in their usual position in the bearings e, and when in that position the wheel w, shown by dotted lines in fig. 2, will gear into the pinion 10 fig. 1, and the power, instead of being applied to the shaft e, should be applied to the shaft of the cutter G.

- corn, by throwing the ears loosely into a hopper, or

by passing the stalks through the machine for separating the ears and then husking them, or to cutting up fodder; and that without as much risk as heretofore of injury to theperson using the machine. Thus my machine can be employed under the varying circumstances that frequently arise in. connect-ion with agricultural labor, especially in the South and West, where the ears of corn and husk are usually gathered from the standing stalks in the'field.

I claim as my invention-' l 1. The hopper n, guides 0, and feeding-apron m, in combination with the inclined husking-rollers H H, as

and for the purposes specified.

2. The revolving shaft t and projections s, receiving motion from the internal gear t*, in combination with the bushing-rollers H, as and for the purposes specified. r

Signed by me this 14th day of March, A. D. 1870.

MILTON O. JEFFERS.

Witnesses;

CHAS. H. SMITH, GEO. [P.Pmcxxsy. 

